CELTICS: Isaiah Thomas frustrating Bulls' defense

The point guard dished out nine assists in Game 3, then scored 33 points in Game 4 as the Celtics evened the playoff series, 2-2.

Jim Fenton The Enterprise @JFenton_ent

During his first two trips to the NBA playoffs, Isaiah Thomas was trying to figure out how to deal with extra attention from defenses.

Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks constantly crowded the Celtics point guard, trying to limit his prime scoring opportunities.

The Chicago Bulls are using that same tactic against Thomas in the opening round this spring, only they are not having the same kind of success as the Cavaliers and Hawks.

Thomas is one of the main reasons why the Celtics, after losing Games 1 and 2 at home last week, rallied to even the series on Friday and Sunday nights in Chicago. He negated the Bulls’ double-teaming strategy in Game 3 by handing out nine assists, then scored 33 points with seven more assists in the series equalizer.

And the Bulls, frustrated at what Thomas has done to their defense, are searching for answers to the point where coach Fred Hoiberg said the point guard constantly carries the ball.

“When you’re allowed to discontinue your dribble on every possession, he’s impossible to guard,’’ Hoiberg said at his postgame press conference Sunday night. “When you’re able to put your hand under the ball and take two or three steps and put it back down, it’s impossible to guard in those situations.’’

The Bulls have been searching for answers against Thomas, especially since Rajon Rondo exited the series with a fractured thumb that occurred during Game 2.

Now, the Bulls coach suggests Thomas is getting away with something in a season in which he finished third in the NBA scoring race behind Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

“Any time you’re in front of the podium, you have the right to say whatever you want to say,’’ said Stevens, whose team returns to practice today with Game 5 in Boston Wednesday night. “I’m not putting a lot of weight into that.

“I think Isaiah’s one of the best scorers in the league. Like the other really good scorers, he’s hard to guard with his change of pace and explosion. You go through the guys in the league that are the hardest to guard, there’s a reason they’re hard to guard.

“I think highly of coach Hoiberg. I’ve known him for a long time. Whatever he wants to say is his prerogative. I’m focusing on our team and coaching our team.’’

Thomas continued to find open teammates in Game 3 when he scored just 16 points because of the extra defensive attention.

Then, in Game 4, with the Celtics struggling after losing a 20-point lead, Thomas took over in the third quarter, scoring 16 straight points.

Thomas has helped get the Celtics back to even in the series while mourning his sister, Chyna, who died a week ago Saturday morning in a car accident in Washington state.

Through four games, Thomas is averaging 25.5 points on 46 percent shooting and six assists. He has made only 7-of-28 shots from 3-point range, however.

“Everybody plays him pretty similarly with a lot of attention on him,’’ said Stevens. “So it’s really important that he makes the right play in the right moment. And it’s really important that our guys behind the action are ready to take advantage of their opportunities when they come to them.

“Our guys, in the last two games, have done a good job of that and (Al Horford’s) mixture of rolls and pops off the pick-and-roll have been good. Isaiah has done a good job of making the right reads, and that’s under a lot of duress for a large part of the game. It’s hard to play with the ball in your hands that much.’’